The Better Angels of Our Nature

Why Violence Has Declined

By: Steven Pinker

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Length: 36 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

“If I could give each of you a graduation present, it would be this - the most inspiring book I've ever read." - Bill Gates (May, 2017)

Selected by The New York Times Book Review as a Notable Book of the Year

The author of Enlightenment Now and The New York Times bestseller The Stuff of Thought offers a controversial history of violence.

Faced with the ceaseless stream of news about war, crime, and terrorism, one could easily think we live in the most violent age ever seen. Yet as New York Times bestselling author Steven Pinker shows in this startling and engaging new work, just the opposite is true: violence has been diminishing for millennia and we may be living in the most peaceful time in our species's existence. For most of history, war, slavery, infanticide, child abuse, assassinations, programs, gruesome punishments, deadly quarrels, and genocide were ordinary features of life. But today, Pinker shows (with the help of more than a hundred graphs and maps) all these forms of violence have dwindled and are widely condemned. How has this happened?

This groundbreaking book continues Pinker's exploration of the essence of human nature, mixing psychology and history to provide a remarkable picture of an increasingly nonviolent world. The key, he explains, is to understand our intrinsic motives - the inner demons that incline us toward violence and the better angels that steer us away - and how changing circumstances have allowed our better angels to prevail. Exploding fatalist myths about humankind's inherent violence and the curse of modernity, this ambitious and provocative book is sure to be hotly debated in living rooms and the Pentagon alike, and will challenge and change the way we think about our society.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2011 by Steven Pinker. (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

enlightenment now is a better book

a bit too specific. it's a good book but there's just a better book out there.

A Bill Gates favorite

Fascinating history, although the first 10-15 hours are very gruesome, it does need to be told to appreciate the whole book. Excellent read!

Solid Research

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I think it puts history and religion into important context.

What did you like best about this story?

The comparison of pre-historical and biblical expectation and toleration of violence with modern socially acceptable perspectives was eye opening.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This is the first book I've heard or read in some time that brought doubt to the legitimacy of old testament ethics. I have been disturbed by the idea that the US is implicitly supporting old testament ethics in our support of Israel, and was disappointed until hearing this at how rarely this problem is brought up in non-fiction media, however indirectly. It often seems to pale in the shadow of Hitler and Shariah law, but this helped me to believe it at least has been and can be brought up in modern thought.

Long, but worth it

Pinker's take on the reduction of violence, backed up with a good statistical backing, is heartening. Understanding the history of violence lets us better interpret the new we receive about the world around us.

a great book on the subject of violence

Would you consider the audio edition of The Better Angels of Our Nature to be better than the print version?

I though the first few chapters were a bit repetitive, but overall I think the book is a great book. Full of insights. Love how Steven Pinker is able to communicate complex ideas in simple and concise language.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked how the book makes the case for the decline in human violence.

If you could give The Better Angels of Our Nature a new subtitle, what would it be?

The story of violence.

MUST READ!!!!!

One of the most inciting and useful books that I have ever read. The amount of research that must’ve been done to pull all of this data together and present it in such a perfect and comprehensible way is absolutely astounding. In so many ways I believe that this book has the power to change this world for the better. Well done Dr. Pinker, and thank you for such a wonderful gift!

Hello

Wow, this is a great book! I love it! You should definitely read it, too!

The naked truth about violence throughout history

This is one of the most difficult audiobooks I have listened to over the last few years. The history of violence is so extreme and unknown to so many, that the message that violence has declined is sometimes hard to believe. Nevertheless, Pinker does a phenomenal job with stories, data and analyses that he makes it almost impossible for you to disagree. What I conclude is that we are therefore extremely lucky to be living nowadays. To have been born centuries ago would have meant an almost certainty to being poor, enslaved, mistreated severely and/or killed in one of a myriad of gruesome forms.

I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone willing to truly understand the past and the times in which we live.

A Marathon

I learned a lot and found this well done. I would recommend this to others interested in man's evolution as an empathetic, humane being. It is very, very long. I could have read an abridge version and left this to PhD students.

Has challenged much of my world view.

Excellent book. First task was to convince the reader that we're less violent now than we've ever been, including dispelling notions of the peaceful native, check. Second, look exhaustively for mechanism(s) which could account for the decline in violence, check. Those are big deals. Author looks to put in context a lot of research and does an excellent job. This book asks important questions regarding why we see murder rates in Western Europe well below 1 per 100,000 per year. Also does a great job of putting in context why an Afghanistan might be different than Iceland. Really had me look at a lot of assumptions I've been making.